CONNECTING CREATIVES

ABOUT GBMCAN

Exhibition at Gang Gang Gallery, Lithgow

Gathering at Wild Valley Art Park, Blue Mountains

Celebrating Art Street at Winter Magic 2023

Podcasting workshop at Lithgow Transformation Hub 2024

Our Purpose

We connect creatives across the Greater Blue Mountains from Glenbrook to Portland, encompassing the Blue Mountains and Lithgow LGAs, to co-create exciting and inclusive events and activities for our community.

With a philosophy of co-creation, the Greater Blue Mountains Creative Arts Network (The Network) is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to support a vibrant, sustainable, inclusive creative arts community through a network of collaborating partner organisations who form our growing cultural ecology.

Through our Regenesis Collective, we seek to curate projects that answer the call for human beings to develop a new relationship with the Earth and all its lifeforms that aligns with Australia’s ancient cultural ethos of Caring for Country. This ethos is enshrined in First Nations’ knowledge systems and the way this knowledge was kept alive in the Songlines through the power of the arts.

Donations to us are tax deductible.

Our Activities

What sets our network apart is its focus on collaboration and inclusiveness with all art forms. We provide the following:

  • Support for member initiated events and projects through grant funded activities
  • Quarterly ARTBytes – enewsletter reporting to our members and community and profiling events and member creatives
  • Collaborative Partnerships across our Network to develop events and projects
  • Multi-arts co-created activities bringing together musicians, artists, photographers, writers, thinkers, poets and philosophers
  • Intercultural activities bringing diverse communities  and their knowledge systems together with the healing power of nature
  • Ideas leadership through the Regenesis Collective, and Talking ArtZ and its podcasts
  • Exhibitions which provide visual artists with exposure to the public and opportunities to sell their work
  • Auspice support for artists applying for grants
  • Donations to our public fund are tax deductible

Our Member Services

ArtBytes—We provide a regular quarterly e-newsletter to members reporting on the activities of GBMCAN including short articles by members

Online Services—Members can display their work on our GBMCAN website and list their events and exhibitions. There are blogs for the Regenesis Collective and TalkingArtZ. We also maintain four Facebook pages (two open and two group pages)

Visual Arts—Focused on Gang Gang Gallery Lithgow, we work with our members to organise events that profile their artworks through exhibitions, workshops, trails and other activities

The Regenesis Collective—Multi-arts co-created activities using the arts to explore and celebrate our interconnected relationship with nature and one another, example the annual Regenesis Anthology project with Rosey Ravelston Books. The inclusion of all art practices with co-created events provides the opportunity to experience a broad range of ideas and learning through immersive experiences and thought leadership

Collaborative Partnerships, for example with Gang Gang Gallery in the Seven Valleys (Lithgow) community, Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre, Gallery H Dargan, RoseyRavelston Books & Publishing, Planetary Health Initiative, Winter Magic Festival, and the Bowerbird Collective

Talking Artz—Listen to experienced artists discuss and share the artistic challenges they face and the ideas that are informing the latest developments in visual arts, with conversations podcasted and video recorded for publication on www.talkingart.com.au

Grant support (auspice)—We support artists applying for grants by providing auspice services (assistance with applications and administration of funds granted)

Public Liability insurance. As a member you are covered for Public and Products Liability insurance of $20 million when you participate in a BMCAN exhibition or event

Collaborative Networks through our developing cultural ecology, we are linking members to partner organisations and their resources for collaborative creative projects.

Acknowledgment of Country

We would like to acknowledge the Gundungurra and Darug people and the Wiradjuri people to the west who are the traditional custodians of the Greater Blue Mountains area. We would also like to pay respect to Elders both past and present. We celebrate the stories, culture, and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.